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(7-01) In 1863 this was the
farm of Abraham Brian. He was a free black man who owned his own
property. When Confederates invaded Pennsylvania he left the area.
During the fighting his farm was heavily damaged
 Tablet (The Brian Farm) |
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(7-01) The Brian house,
barn
and 111th New York Monument on Cemetery Ridge (near the Cyclorama building).
View looking west |
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Enlarge
The Snyder Farm. View looking southeast towards
Seminary Ridge and West Confederate Ave. The Snyder farm is on the
northeast side of the Jct of Wheatfield
(Millerstown) Road and West Confederate Ave. The Warfield Farm is south,
across Wheatfield Road and hidden by the trees
Curt Fisher photo
The view was identified on December 5,
2010 by Paul J. Goda |
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(2011) James McKnight Farm on Slocum Ave.
I would like to point out that one farm at Gettysburg gets very little
recognition even though it sits right in the union line on Cemetery
Hill. That is the James McKnight farm which still stands to this day.
James and Margaret McKnight are the great great great grandparents of my
wife. The house sat 100-150 yards to the rear of the union artillery on
Stevens Knoll which was referred to as McKnight's Hill until after the
battle and it was renamed Steven's Knoll. This farm was also one of the
first properties bought by the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial
Association. They wanted an easy access between Culp's Hill and Cemetery
Hill so the farm was bought and then subdivided. The house, barn and
five acres were sold to several private citizens to include a member of
the Lydia Leister family over the years until it was sold to the current
owners. There are accounts of the battle which say that James McKnight
stayed in the cellar during the battle while Margaret and their 4 year
old daughter Jane (Jennie) fled south down the Baltimore Pike along with
Elizabeth Thorn, the caretaker of the Evergreen Cemetery. Several
soldiers of the 33rd Massachusetts Infantry died in the McKnight barn
and were originally buried on the Rothenberger farm plot across Slocum
Ave. before being moved to the National Cemetery. Another account claims
that generals Meade, O.O. Howard, Handcock and Marsena Patrick met in
the McKnight house when General Meade first arrived on the battlefield
before setting up his Headquarters at the Lydia Leister farm on the
Taneytown Rd. After the battle Capt. Hoff had a commissary supply camp
located on the farm at the base of McKnight's Hill. My wife and the
current owner of the farm have a lot of history on James and Margaret
McKnight and the farm. I have attached several pictures of the house
then and now for your enjoyment
Narrative and photo courtesy of Thomas W. Reidenbach |
